The Berkeley Evolution Site Teachers and students who visit the Berkeley site will find a wealth of resources to help them understand and teach evolution. The materials are arranged into different learning paths such as "What did T. rex taste like?" Charles Darwin's theory on natural selection explains how creatures that are better equipped to adapt biologically to changing environments survive longer and those that don't become extinct. This process of evolution is the main focus of science. What is Evolution? The term "evolution" can have a variety of meanings that are not scientific. For example it could mean "progress" and "descent with modifications." It is a scientific term that refers to the process of changing characteristics over time in organisms or species. This change is based in biological terms on natural selection and drift. Evolution is a central tenet of modern biology. It is an accepted theory that has stood the tests of time and thousands of scientific studies. ???? ???? does not address the existence of God or religious beliefs like other scientific theories such as the Copernican or germ theory of disease. Early evolutionists, including Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Erasmus Darwin (Charles's grandfather) believed that certain physical characteristics were predetermined to change, in a gradual way, over time. They called this the "Ladder of Nature" or the scala naturae. Charles Lyell used the term to describe this idea in his Principles of Geology, first published in 1833. In the early 1800s, Darwin formulated his theory of evolution and published it in his book On the Origin of Species. It states that all species of organisms share an ancestry that can be traced using fossils and other evidence. This is the current perspective on evolution, which is supported by a variety of areas of science which include molecular biology. While scientists do not know exactly how organisms evolved, they are confident that the evolution of life on earth is a result of natural selection and genetic drift. People with traits that are advantageous are more likely to survive and reproduce, and these individuals transmit their genes to the next generation. Over time the gene pool slowly changes and evolves into new species. Certain scientists use the term"evolution" to refer to large-scale changes, such the development of one species from an ancestral one. Other scientists, like population geneticists, define it more broadly, referring to a net change in allele frequencies over generations. Both definitions are acceptable and accurate however some scientists believe that the definition of allele frequency is lacking essential aspects of the evolution process. Origins of Life One of the most crucial steps in evolution is the appearance of life. This occurs when living systems begin to develop at a micro-level - within cells, for example. The origins of life are an issue in a variety of disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and geology. The origin of life is a topic of interest in science because it challenges the theory of evolution. It is often referred to as "the mystery of life" or "abiogenesis." Traditionally, the notion that life can emerge from nonliving things is known as spontaneous generation, or "spontaneous evolution." This was a popular view before Louis Pasteur's experiments showed that it was impossible for the creation of life to occur by the natural process. Many scientists still believe that it is possible to transition from nonliving materials to living. The conditions required to make life are not easy to replicate in a laboratory. Researchers who are interested in the evolution and origins of life are also eager to understand the physical properties of the early Earth as well as other planets. In addition, the development of life is dependent on a sequence of very complex chemical reactions that cannot be predicted from the fundamental physical laws alone. These include the reading of long information-rich molecules (DNA or RNA) into proteins that perform some function, and the replication of these intricate molecules to create new DNA or RNA sequences. These chemical reactions can be compared to a chicken-and egg problem: the emergence and development of DNA/RNA, a protein-based cell machinery, is essential to begin the process of becoming a living organism. Although, without life, the chemistry needed to make it possible appears to be working. Abiogenesis research requires collaboration among scientists from various fields. This includes prebiotic scientists, astrobiologists, and planet scientists. Evolutionary Changes The term "evolution" is used to describe general changes in genetic traits over time. These changes may result from adaptation to environmental pressures, as explained in the article on Darwinism (see the entry on Charles Darwin for background) or may result from natural selection. This is a process that increases the frequency of genes in a species that offer a survival advantage over others, resulting in gradual changes in the overall appearance of a particular population. The specific mechanisms that cause these changes in evolutionary process include mutation, reshuffling of genes during sexual reproduction, and gene flow between populations. While mutation and reshuffling of genes occur in all living organisms and the process by which beneficial mutations are more frequent is known as natural selection. As previously mentioned, those who possess the desirable characteristic have a higher reproduction rate than those that do not. This variation in the number of offspring born over a number of generations could result in a gradual shift in the number of advantageous characteristics in a group. One good example is the increase in beak size on different species of finches on the Galapagos Islands, which have evolved different shaped beaks to enable them to more easily access food in their new habitat. These changes in shape and form could also help create new organisms. The majority of the changes that occur are the result of a single mutation, but occasionally, multiple mutations occur at the same time. The majority of these changes are neither harmful nor even detrimental to the organism, however a small portion of them could be beneficial to the longevity and reproduction of the species, thus increasing the frequency of these changes in the population over time. Natural selection is a process that can produce the accumulating change over time that eventually leads to a new species. Many people confuse evolution with the idea of soft inheritance that is the belief that inherited traits can be changed by deliberate choice or misuse. This is a misinterpretation of the biological processes that lead up to the process of evolution. A more precise description is that evolution involves a two-step process, that involves the distinct and often antagonistic forces of mutation and natural selection. Origins of Humans Humans of today (Homo Sapiens) evolved from primates, a species of mammal species which includes chimpanzees and gorillas. The earliest human fossils show that our ancestors were bipeds - walking on two legs. Genetic and biological similarities suggest that we are closely related to chimpanzees. In reality we are the most closely related to the chimpanzees within the Pan Genus, which includes pygmy chimpanzees and bonobos. The last common human ancestor as well as chimpanzees was born between 8 and 6 million years ago. Humans have evolved a wide range of traits over time including bipedalism, the use of fire, and the development of advanced tools. However, it is only in the last 100,000 years or so that most of the essential characteristics that differentiate us from other species have been developed. These include a large brain that is complex and the capacity of humans to construct and use tools, as well as cultural diversity. Evolution occurs when genetic changes allow members of an organization to better adapt to the environment. This adaptation is triggered by natural selection, which is a process by which certain traits are more desirable than other traits. People with better adaptations are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. This is how all species evolve and is the foundation for the theory of evolution. Scientists call it the "law of Natural Selection." The law states that species that share a common ancestor tend to develop similar traits over time. This is because those characteristics make it easier for them to live and reproduce in their environments. Every organism has the DNA molecule, which contains the information needed to control their growth. The DNA molecule is made up of base pairs arranged spirally around sugar molecules and phosphate molecules. The sequence of bases within each strand determines phenotype which is the person's distinctive appearance and behavior. Different mutations and reshuffling of the genetic material (known as alleles) during sexual reproduction cause variations in a population. Fossils from the first human species, Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis have been found in Africa, Asia and Europe. These fossils, despite some differences in their appearance, all support the theory of modern humans' origins in Africa. Evidence from fossils and genetics suggest that early humans moved from Africa into Asia and then Europe.
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